Public Financing

Republican Larry Hogan will pay for his bid for governor with public financing, the first candidate to mount a state-wide general election bid on taxpayer dollars in two decades. Hogan's campaign will receive a $2.6 million within the next few weeks to finance his race against Democrat Anthony G. Brown, who has proved himself a formidable fundraiser by collecting more than $12 million for the primary election alone. "The Democratic Party...

Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan jumped out to a massive - but almost certainly temporary - lead in cash in hand over Democratic rival Anthony G. Brown, the Hogan campaign reported Tuesday night. Hogan's better than 3-1 advantage - $2.4 million to Brown's $760,000 - was based largely on a July 9 lump sum payment of $2.6 million from the state's public financing fund after the June 24 primary. However, Hogan's fund-raising for his general election campaign is essentially frozen, while Brown can continue to raise money through the Nov. 4 election.

The State Board of Elections ruled Thursday that Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Lollar is ineligible for public financing because he missed the legal deadline to apply. The board voted unanimously to deny the waiver request by Lollar, a Charles County business executive. Jared Demarinis, executive director of candidacy and campaign finance, told the board that Lollar missed the Feb. 25 to apply because his campaign had forgotten that was the deadline for applying for public financing as well as for filing candidacy papers.

Candidates for governor in Maryland's June primary spent a record of almost $25 million - paying roughly $35 for every voter who showed up at the polls. Campaign finance reports filed with the State Board of Elections this week show that the primary's cost exceeded the total spent during the primary and general election four years ago by more than $2 million. As Democrat Anthony G. Brown continues to raise money apace and Republican Larry Hogan has $2.4 million in public financing, they appear on track to shatter the record $33 million spent on the gubernatorial contest in 2006.

Once again, The Sun urges the institution of public campaign financing, implying that if such a plan were instituted, private campaign contributions would disappear and we'd all live happily ever after ("Appearance of conflict," Nov. 29). Nothing could be further from the truth. For one thing, there is that pesky First Amendment. For another, as our president demonstrated in his 2008 campaign, if you have enough private contributions, you can finance a campaign very nicely without utilizing public financing.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan said Wednesday that he has cleared the threshold of $258,612 in small contributions needed to qualify for public financing of his campaign. By clearing that barrier, Hogan would become the first candidate on the Republican side to qualify for public matching funds in the June 24 primary. Del. Heather R. Mizeur of Montgomery County is receiving matching funds in the Democratic race. Under that law, only individual contributions of $250 or less are eligible for matching funds.

For many years, special interests - particularly the development industry - have played an inordinate role in financing the campaigns of county executive and county council candidates throughout Maryland. Once elected, these officials often negotiate or vote on matters of concern to those who financially supported them, such as land use and zoning issues. Political Action Committees representing unions that negotiate contracts with county executives (that require approval by county councils)

Democrat Heather R. Mizeur said Wednesday that she will become the first gubernatorial candidate since 1994 to accept public financing for her campaign — and the $2.5 million spending limit that comes with it. Mizeur, a two-term state delegate from Montgomery County, announced the decision as part of a broad proposal to curb the influence of special interests on elections. Among the provisions are replacement of Maryland's governor's-race-only financing program with a comprehensive system for all state offices.

Republican Larry Hogan will be the first candidate in two decades to mount a statewide general election bid using taxpayer donations. Hogan's campaign said Wednesday that it will accept public financing, an unusual move that reflects the GOP's uphill political fight against Maryland's better-funded and more powerful Democratic Party. The decision will give Hogan's camp a $2.6 million check from state coffers to pay for his race against Democrat Anthony G. Brown, who has proved himself a formidable fundraiser by collecting more than $12 million for the primary election alone.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan said Monday that he will accept public financing in the GOP primary, becoming the second person seeking the office this year to participate in a system that had been dormant for almost two decades. The announcement came as Hogan and his running mate, former Ehrlich administration Cabinet member Boyd Rutherford, filed their candidacy papers at the State Board of Elections in Annapolis. Hogan said the decision "sends a great message.

A prominent Democrat lawmaker said Thursday he would work to close what he called "the Hogan loophole," which he said allowed Republican Larry Hogan "to pocket" public money during Hogan's campaign for governor. Economic Matters Committee chairman Del. Dereck Davis said he would seek stiffer rules for politicians who accept public financing, as Hogan as done. Among those provisions: forbidding spending public money in a way that improves a candidate's financial fortunes. Hogan's campaign, meanwhile, called the issue "absurd.

Republican Larry Hogan will pay for his bid for governor with public financing, the first candidate to mount a state-wide general election bid on taxpayer dollars in two decades. Hogan's campaign will receive a $2.6 million within the next few weeks to finance his race against Democrat Anthony G. Brown, who has proved himself a formidable fundraiser by collecting more than $12 million for the primary election alone. "The Democratic Party...

Republican Larry Hogan will be the first candidate in two decades to mount a statewide general election bid using taxpayer donations. Hogan's campaign said Wednesday that it will accept public financing, an unusual move that reflects the GOP's uphill political fight against Maryland's better-funded and more powerful Democratic Party. The decision will give Hogan's camp a $2.6 million check from state coffers to pay for his race against Democrat Anthony G. Brown, who has proved himself a formidable fundraiser by collecting more than $12 million for the primary election alone.

Over the last six months I volunteered with a team of supporters to elect Heather Mizeur as Maryland's next governor. Heather's campaign was inspiring, honest, respectful, progressive and transparent. She ran on issues that matter to Maryland's people. She brought up things that others wouldn't dare touch in a campaign (for example, death with dignity, disability rights and marijuana legalization). She inspired so many new people to care and rally around the vision we share for Maryland.

Second in a series of profiles of candidates for governor. If a political resume were enough for victory, David R. Craig would be a sure thing to win the Republican nomination for governor. Havre de Grace city councilman, mayor, member of the House of Delegates, state senator, and for the past decade, Harford County executive. Craig has filled all those roles in his 64 years, and, judging by his election results, voters have been happy with the job he's done. "As county executive, I think he's done the kinds of things I'd like to see a governor do," said Ellen R. Sauerbrey, the Republican nominee in 1994 and 1998.

The Democrats running for governor traded barbs Monday night over Maryland's economy, marijuana laws, and the troubled rollout of its health insurance website in their final televised debate before a primary in which pundits suggest many voters are still undecided. Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown and Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler repeatedly clashed, accusing the other of deceiving the voters. Even Del. Heather R. Mizeur, who stood above the fray in the previous three-way debate, was drawn into the contentious exchanges.

WASHINGTON -- Of all the bad ideas in the Republican budget proposals -- and there are plenty -- the least defensible may be their plan to kill the public financing of presidential election campaigns.The system was put in place 20 years ago as a response to Watergate and the abuses that had developed in the financing of campaigns -- most particularly the influence enjoyed by a few fat cats who financed candidates with multimillion-dollar contributions.Now, in the name of deficit reduction, the Republicans intend to scuttle the system -- and open the door once again to another generation of influence-seekers.

Democrat Anthony G. Brown is raising money for his campaign for governor at a torrid pace, raking in more than $1.2 million in the six weeks after the General Assembly session ended in April, according to his campaign. The lieutenant governor's campaign said Tuesday that it has $4.15 million in cash on hand, money that can pay for a sustained TV ad campaign in the four weeks before the June 24 primary. Douglas F. Gansler's campaign stated late Tuesday night that the attorney general raised a little more than $311,000 since April 8. The campaign said it has $3.1 million in cash on hand.

Maryland voters can expect to see an escalating barrage of television ads before the June 24 primary for governor, a blitz that will be fueled by the nearly $9 million the contenders have in the bank. Most of that money will be spent on the Democratic contest. Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown leads with about $4 million on hand, but Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler has $3 million - enough to pay for a sustained presence on the air. And Del. Heather R. Mizeur, with nearly $1 million, says she'll be on TV as well.